Cancer

What’s for Dinner?’ Tough Question for Cancer Patients

Spectrum Health Offers Suggestions for Healthy and Appealing Meals

It’s a common question and a common thought each day: What’s for dinner? For patients undergoing cancer treatment and their caretakers, this daily decision can be daunting.

“The choices available can be overwhelming and make it difficult to narrow the focus to foods that might actually sound and taste good,” said Christy McFadden, a specialty dietitian educator at Spectrum Health’s Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion. “During cancer treatment, a decreased appetite is very common and many smells, such as food cooking, can be nauseating.”

McFadden warns that the everyday task of deciding and planning meals can eventually lead to a decreased appetite – not a good thing for people who are trying to keep up their strength.
 
The dietitian encourages patients to make lists of meal and snack ideas.

“Having something written on paper can help narrow the focus and ease the task of thinking about what to eat,” explained McFadden. “It is easier for a patient to select from a list instead of having to look through food options – and possibly be confronted with strong smells during the search. Energy is wasted on thinking about food that should actually be spent on eating food.”

A helpful list should be based on the patient’s food preferences and be kept in an easily accessible place, such as the refrigerator door. The list may also include pre-prepared snacks in single servings that are readily available in the refrigerator or pantry.

During treatment, protein is often a focus. Taste changes and poor appetite can make getting enough protein difficult. But, in general, healthy eating means a variety of plant-based foods of maximum intake of nutrients and phytochemicals, explains McFadden.

“We advise patients and their caregivers to make a conscious effort to choose protein rich foods a couple times per day, such as eggs, peanut butter, Greek yogurt or liquid nutritional supplements.”
 
The choices should be easy to make, easy to eat and nutritious, such as:

  • Egg salad
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Cereal and milk
  • Cottage cheese and peaches
  • Chicken noodle soup
  • Single-serving fruit cup
  • Yogurt
  • High protein pudding
  • Frozen smoothie
  • Toast with butter

“Taking away a little burden, such as deciding on a meal, can make a patient’s day easier and that is exactly what we want to do.”

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 700 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 600,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 19,000 employees. The organization provided $204 million in community benefit during its 2012 fiscal year.